Surprised and delighted at CS recovery

[atrcts]

To all you people out there worried about your c section recovery, can I just say that (assuming all goes well as planned) the recovery really is very good indeed.

I found recovery from my appendectomy 18 months ago much more sore than this is; I know everyone's experience will be slightly different but it really is ok.

It's been 48 hours and I have a bruise on the pubic region but the wound incision is painless and the wound dressing change today was completely painless.

The sticky dressing was more like slightly tacky cling film and really painless to remove (unlike the sticky tape from various venflon and injection sites all over my arms!).

I am walking slowly because it feels achy and bruised if I walk too fast or try to stand up overly straight, and getting in and out of bed is so much easier when using the arms to hold the body's weight.

Sneezing and coughing were a little sharp but can be helped by holding the stomach tightly, either with the hands or a pillow/dressing gown etc.

The only thing I've been massively aware of is guarding myself from sleeping on the side - it feels overly twisted so I've slept on my back with my head on the side for the last 2 nights. Tonight I feel I could use the pillow brought in from home to now lie on my side.

So pleae be encouraged folks - its really not as bad as I feared! And so it might not be as bad as you think either

I'm really pleased for you, but make sure you still take it easy. It's still early days. I felt similar to you at the same stage, but pain wise I think day 4 was the worst for me, was still in hospital due to feeding issues and I can remember hobbling to the nurses station in the middle if the night in tears begging for painkillers. Was surprised as i thought the worst was over, but the bruising really came out then (had probably been overdoing it a bit too and had had no sleep). The wound is numb to start with and you still have the post birth euphoria but you have still been through major surgery and need to take it easy to heal. Congratulations on your new baby and I hope your recovery continues well ( mine was really ok too, was surprised at what I could manage in a couple of weeks).

Appreciate the word of caution! The bruising is a very visible reminder but luckily it's probably harder to over-do in hospital (more so than being at home).

Go easy, it's early days and you might still get sure from ask the bruising. Glad you're doing well so far

Sore from all-bloody phone!

I had an emergency section 9 days ago now, and this was my experience too... I went home on day 1 and with a lot of help from DH, have taken things really easily and now am almost back to normal. I would add that I was really scared about my stitches coming out, but it was TOTALLY painless and honestly the most painful thing has been a burn on my skin where a dressing was badly applied!

I'm certainly more mobile than a lot of my NCT friends who have had recent normal deliveries with tears and stitches...

So great to hear! Has def put my mind t rest or my elec in 9 weeks. But still scared to be too optimistic!

Without wanting to piss on anyone's parade, recovery from ANY surgery varies from person to person just as vaginal birth does. My sil was shopping in Sainsbury's the day after she delivered but I know friends who have taken weeks to heal after a VB.

It's great to hear of quick recoveries but it's also totally normal to take quite a while to get back to feeling ok and I think you have to expect to feel pretty awful and plan to need help and rest but anything else is a great bonus.

I also felt great after mine, was on my feet after 8 hours for a shower and never had any pain.

Took paracetamol and diclofenac regulalry for two weeks and am sure this is key to it - keeping on top of the pain. It was a tip I read on MN that it is easier to keep on top of the pain than to try to get on top of it if that makes sense.

I drove after 4 weeks (after confirming with insurance company that it was ok), could probably have driven after two.

I'm on day six and still unable to walk far or stay awake more than a few hours at a time. I am home since day four and DH is doing absolutely everything but still utterly exhausted.

I wasn't able to get out of bed until 24hours after the ELCS, I was sick through low blood pressure and suffered horrendous diarrhoea from a drug given in theatre, I passed out each time I stood up.

In fact one of my reasons for sobbing all over the midwife this morning was because I feel so fucking ill and I'm young and fit - everyone told me 24-48 hours afterwards I'd be up and ok if a little sore. Not my experience at all.

As for the pain, never been in anything like it - searing stabbing needles throughout scar site. Blood tests show no infection, just unlucky.

My emcs recovery way like Ops- 3 hrs afterwards I was stood up, that evening I was shuffling to the toilet, day 3 I was shopping and by 10 days I was driving. (With a cover note from my dr) no pain relief after 2 days. No problems with inscision site, scar in my pubes that I can barely see.

Much easier recovery than my VB.

redwelly dpn't panic. Day 6 is nothing after a section. IME it's better not to try and walk anywhere, I wasn't leaving the house at that stage. Stay in your pj's and let your body recover, you will know when you feel able to do more.

I speak from bitter experience of over doing it after my EMCS and my diva like experience of refusing to do anything after my planned cs and feeling much better for it. The less I did the better my recovery.

Sorry red I missed your post :(hope you feel better soo.

I had that searing pain too-awful.

I'm 12 weeks post ELCS with DS2 and the recovery has been completely different from my EMCS with DS1. With DS1 I had very little pain afterwards but I was not really up to doing very much for several weeks and my tummy muscles were weak for a while. With DS2 i had a LOT of pain for about a week after, which really took me by surprise (the op was slightly more complicated than expected). I was taking all the painkillers they gave me and was still uncomfortable. But I feel like I am much fitter and stronger now than I was after DS1, despite having had a very difficult pregnancy second time round. I think this is because after DS1 I was very keen to get back to normal and maybe overdid things a bit. This time round I totally babied myself, took things very easy (gentle walking rpund the house but otherwise resting as much as poss). I think that this has stood me in good stead for my long term recovery. In fact I started pilates at 6 weeks, and went for my first run yesterday. After DS1 it tok me much longer to feel up to that. So my advice would be to take good care of yourself for the first couple of weeks as that initial healing period is really important!

Recovery from CS can be brilliant (mine was, I was v lucky) but don't be fooled by the drugs into thinking you haven't just had major surgery. Some people have a truly terrible time though. My only major advice would be not under any circumstances to have a bath in the hospital, only showers, with your own shower gel and extra drops of tea tree oil. The baths and bathroom areas generally are really not cleaned properly enough for people who've had surgery.